[11B3]

All modern fighters can be punched out of at Mach 1+. Even the early MiG-21s were capable of it. But you're definitely correct - that wind blast would be tremendous. (That's one of the reasons for that ring you see above the pilot's head in a fighter. Prior to eject, that secures the head and neck so the wind doesn't twist it.)

150 kts combat AGL is about the limit for ground troops to deploy, right? (HALO being much different due to the altitude.)

[Steel Wolf]

150 kts is the recommended maximum for static line jumps, due to the fact that you can blow out panels in the chutes, tear suspension lines, and a variety of things you don't want to happen with only 1,200 to 800 feet to the ground.

HALO depends on the altitude, but they have less wind resistance up there. Off the top of my head, I think they jump from 8,000 to 30,000 feet, depending on the aircraft.

I know that the fighter pilots can eject at those speeds, but they are encased in the seat and their flight suits (which aid in them resisting pressure and high Gs) and they are secured till they land. Even with all that protection, it can't feel good.

For the shuttle crew to use their chutes, they'd have to literally get to an opening, and jump out fully exposed. I've never jumped from anything like 200,000 feet, but I'd assume that they'd fall for quite a ways before the atmosphere would even be dense enough for the chute to work. They'd need oxygen, and probably some heat shielding, or they'd wouldn't make it. At 4000 mph, any significant air resistance could cause broken bones, fatal whiplash, or who knows what.

Catch 22, there. If the air resistance doesn't kill you, the fall to denser atmosphere will.